A hipster is a person who is strongly associated with a subculture that has been deemed hip. The term was used originally in the early 1940s to describe aficionados of jazz, and it eventually described many members of the Beat Generation, but its usage declined in the 1960s, with the term hippies coming into wide usage. Since the mid 1990s, the word hipster has been redefined to refer to members of a different subculture. Modern hipsters are those devoted to ironicretro fashions, independent music and film, alternative comics, and other forms of expression outside the mainstream. They are often associated with indie culture.

More generally, trendsetters in fashion are sometimes called hipsters, though this use is distinct from the hipster subculture, whose fashion sensibilities are specific and not usually destined for the mainstream.